Machine for tinning metals



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

D. OAIRD & G. LABKINS. MACHINE FOR TINNING METALS.

No. 402,899. Patented May 7, 1889.

' f ww n. Pzrzns. Fhako-Liflnomphen Wuhington. D.C.

(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-SheefiZ.

D. GAI'RD & G. LARKINS. MACHINE FOR TINNING METALS.

No. 402,899. I PatentedMay 7, 1 889.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEIcE.

DAVID CAIRD, OF ANSONIA, AND GEORGE LARKINS, OF SEYMOUR, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR TINNING METALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,899, dated May '7, 1889.

Application filed July 17, 1888.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, DAVID CAIRD, of Ansonsia, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, and GEORGE LARKINS, of Seymour, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Tinning Metals; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention has for its object to provide a simple and easily-operated machine for tinning sheets of metal, the special object being to spread the molten tin evenly upon the surface of the sheet and to unite it with the metal of the sheet by the combined influence of heat and pressure. Heretofore in tinning metals it has been the practice to ladle the melted tin upon the plate. This has necessitated the handling of an enormous quantity of melted tin, two men being ordinarily required to ladle and two to brush off the surplus tin, and, furthermore, especially in tin ning zinc, has caused serious loss of weight to the plate, owing to the high temperature of the melted tin and to the fact that zinc melts at a comparatively low temperature. As a result, in tinning each sheet it often occurs that considerable zinc is melted off and runs into the pot with the surplus tin, the metal in the pot soon becoming an alloy of tin and zinc. In order to overcome these objections and to produce a machine that will spread the tin evenly without melting the zinc and will greatly increase the production with half the number of men, we have devised the novel construction of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, numbers being used to denote the several parts.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a section on the line was in Fig. 2, looking toward the right; Fig. 4, a section on the line y y, looking toward the left; and Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively longitudinal and transverse sections of the carrier, which also serves to spread Serial No. 280,236. (No model.)

the melted tin over the surface of the sheet upon the bed.

1 denotes the bed; 2, the legs; 3, side rails, and 4 the carrier and spreader. The carrier and spreader is provided with trunnions 5, which are journaled in suitable hangers depending from the side rails. These hangers are made in two parts, denoted, respectively, by 6 and 6, which are connected by a bolt, 6 passing through a hole in one of the parts and a slot in the other, thereby making the carrier and spreader vertically adjustable, the purpose of which will presently be more fully explained.

7 denotes rollers upon the hangers, which travel upon the side rails, the two hangers be in g firmly braced together by a cross-piece, 8.-

The carrier and spreader is preferably constructed substantially as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and may be cast in a single piece. Below the receptacle for the melted tin, which I denote specifically by 9, is a heating-chamber, 10. This chamber may be heated in any suitable manner, as by slugs, naphtha, or gas, as shown in the drawings. When made to be heated by gas, the chamber is left open at the ends, or is otherwise provided with an air-supply and with a gas-supply pipe, 11, and a series of burners, 12, gas being supplied to the chamber by a flexible tube (not shown) connected to pipe 11. In order that the temperature of the carrier and spreader may be ascertained at anytime, we ordinarily provide thermometers 13, connected by pipes 14 with the chamber. Upon the under side of the chamber we place a spreading-shoe, 15, made of any suitable materialordinari1y of brass. The melted tin is ladled from the furnace (not shown, as any suitable furnace will serve the purpose) into receptacle 9, where it is retained in a molten condition by the heat of the chamber, which is maintained by the burners or in any suitable manner.

In use the carrier and spreader may be operated in any suitable manner. W e preferably, however, extend a rope from the cross piece around a drum, 1'7, to which the opposite end of the rope is attached. We have shown the drum as journaled in boxes 18 and provided with a gear, 19, engaged by a gear, 20, upon a crank-shaft.

21 denotes a pulley at the opposite end of the drum-shaft, and 22 a strap passing over said pulley and connected to a hand-lever, 23, whereby it is caused to serve as a brake for the drum-shaft. A rope, 24-, extends in the opposite direction from the cross-piece, passes over a pulley, 25, at the lower end of the machine, and is provided with a weight, 25, as shown, or any other suitable mechanism,

whereby the carrier and spreader may be drawn forward when the brake-strap is re leased.

"0 preferably place the bed at an incline, as shown in Fig. 2, the side rails being of course parallel therewith. The sides of the bed are protected by strips 26, to prevent escape of surplus metal in use.

\Ve have shown no trough for the reception of the surplus metal at the lower end of the machine, as that is not an essential feature of our present machine. In practice, however, we contemplate providing a trough which will carry the surplus metal directly back to the melting-furnace without any waste whatever.

Inusc a sheet or a number of sheets of metal. to be tinned are laid upon the bed of the machine, receptacle 0 is filled with. melted tin, and the carrier and spreader drawn to the upper end of the bedthat is, to the right of the machine, as shown in the drawings-by winding rope 16 011 the drum. The carrier and spreader is then tilted sufficiently by means of a handavheel, 27, to pour the necessary quantity of melted tin upon the surface of the sheet or sheets upon the bed. It is of course necessary in use that the carrier and spreader should be locked against turning after the required amount of 4.0 melted tin has been poured out and during the operation of spreading the molten tin upon the surface of the sheets and uniting it therewith. Any suitable device may be provided for this purpose. In the drawings we have shown a strap, 28, extending partially around a pulley, 29, on the'trunnion which carries the hand-wheel. This strap is operated by a lever, 30, which is secured at the locking position by engagement with a pin, 31. Having locked the carrier and spreader, after pouring out sufficient of the molten tin, brake-strap 2 is loosened and the carrier and spreader allowed to travel down the side rails, over the surface of the plates upon the bed, which is accomplished through the power of the weight or other suitable device for that purpose. The molten tin is thus spread evenly upon the surface of the plate or plates and caused to unite firmly therewith through the combined heat and weight of the carrier and spreader. The melted tin in receptacle 0 can be kept in that condition for any required length of time. A single passage of the carrier and spreader over the surface of the sheets is usually quite sufficient to tin the surface evenly and perfectly.

As soon. as the carrier and spreader has been passed over the sheets, they are removed, the carrier and spreader drawn back to its normal position at the upper end of the bed by winding rope 16 on the drum, new sheets are placed upon the bed, and the operation is repeated as before.

It will of course be apparent that the pressure of the carrier and spreader upon the sheet will determine the thickness of the coat ing of tin. o therefore make said device vertically adjustable, so that plates of any thickness may be tinned, or a heavier or lighter coating of tin maybe placed upon the plates, as may be desired. This is an important feature, as it enables us to produce plates of any desired quality, which shall be perfectly uniform, and may be produced rapidly and at greatly-reduced cost.

It will of course be apparent that the details of construction may be varied greatly without departing from the principle of our invention.

lVe claim- 1. A machine for tinnin g sheet metal, comprising a rigid bed, a tilting carrier and spreader for laying and spreading the melted tin upon the surface of the sheets, a heater for said carrier and spreader, and means, substantially as described, for moving the carrying and spreading device over the surface of the sheets.

2. A machine for tinning sheet metal, comprising a rigid bed, and a tilting carrier and spreader for holding the melted tin and for spreading it upon the surface of the sheets, said carrier and spreader being vertically adjustable relatively to the bed, so as to regulate the thickness of the coating of tin, substantially as described.

3. Amachine for tinning sheet metal, com.- prising a rigid bed lying at an incline, a tilting carrier and spreader for the melted tin, a heater for keeping the melted tin in that condition and for heating the spreading device, and a rope, winding-drum, and weight for moving the carrying and spreading device, substantially as described.

at. The combination, with the bed, side rails, and hangers sliding thereon, of a carrying and spreading device journaled in said hangers, means, substantially as described, for lockim said device in position, and means for moving said device backward and forward upon the bed.

5. The combination, with the bed, the hangers, and the carrier and spreader joi'lrnaled in said hangers, of a winding-drum, a brake for controlling its movement, and a weight for moving the carrier and spreader forward in use.

6. The combination, with the bed, side rails, and hangers, of the carrier for the molten tin having a shoe, 15, secured to the bottom thereof, as and forthe purpose set forth.

'7. The combination, with the bed, side ails, and hangers, of a spreader journaled in said hangers and having a receptacle for In testimony whereof We affix our signatures I0 the moiten tin, and a heating-chamber, subin presence of two Witnesses. stantially as described.

8. The combination, with the bed, side DAVID OAIRD. 5 rails, and hangers, of a spreader journaled GEORGE LARKINS.

in said hangers and having a receptacle for the melted tin, a heating-chamber, gas-con- WVitnesses: nections, and a thermometer for indicating HORATIO M. BROWN,

the temperature of the chamber. WM. H. JAMES. 

